Xi Jinping set to visit Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia amid US tariff escalation on China
According to a statement from China’s Foreign Ministry today (10 April), Xi will pay a state visit to Vietnam from 14 to 15 April, followed by stops in Malaysia and Cambodia from 15 to 18 April
Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to embark on a trip to Southeast Asia next week, visiting Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia as Beijing seeks to strengthen regional alliances amid rising trade tensions with the United States.
According to a statement from China's Foreign Ministry today (10 April), Xi will pay a state visit to Vietnam from 14 to 15 April, followed by stops in Malaysia and Cambodia from 15 to 18 April.
The trip comes just days after US President Donald Trump ramped up tariffs on Chinese imports while temporarily exempting the three Southeast Asian nations from new levies for 90 days. The move, analysts say, is part of Washington's strategy to isolate Beijing by tightening the economic noose, reports Bloomberg.
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Xi's choice of Southeast Asia for his first overseas tour of the year outlines China's renewed diplomatic focus on its immediate neighbourhood.
Earlier this week, he presided over an upgraded Central Work Conference on Diplomacy with Neighbouring Countries, signalling a more strategic approach to regional partnerships.
Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia have all seen economic gains in recent years as global supply chains shift away from China, driven in part by the ongoing US-China trade conflict. However, that diversification has also drawn them into Washington's scrutiny.
Vietnam, in particular, continues to contest China's expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea. Cambodia is reportedly weighing the resumption of military drills with the US, and Malaysia is facing criticism over alleged involvement in the shipment of restricted Nvidia chips to China.
